


to be contrary

by Cân Cennau (gwenynnefydd)



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Gay Pride, M/M, Pride is Protest, Protests, referenced homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-12
Updated: 2019-12-12
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:47:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21767818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gwenynnefydd/pseuds/C%C3%A2n%20Cennau
Summary: Cardassia's first Pride march is attended by some surprising guests.
Relationships: Elim Garak/Kelas Parmak, Metok Efheny/Original Non-Binary Character(s)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 18





	to be contrary

**Author's Note:**

> This was v much inspired by apolesen's [Wearing Your Colours](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19244734) which is absolutely lovely.

_As far as days went,_ Nila thought to xemself, _today was a perfect day for a protest._

For a late _gorgors_ day, it was not too humid. The sun was warm, and while the air was still, it was not as stifling as it could have been. Nila had gone back and forth over wearing their red _temza_ jacket with all the badges and embroidery, wondering if it would be too hot, but was glad they decided to bring it as despite the sun, the warmth did not extend to participants of a protest march who had been stood waiting for over an hour. Nila did not mind the waiting - the fact that a protest march pushing to legalise philandery was happening at all was still a little bit of a novelty, even more so when considering Nila was marching as chairperson of Torr’s Na-Almadh Philandrics. Nila could not help but feel like any moment a councillor would approach with an official letter removing the group’s protesting permit, or the police escort for the march would suddenly turn on them and crush them into the holding pens at the station. It had happened before.

Not that anything would stop xem from marching today, but the fear was still there.

“Nila!” a voice behind them called, and Nila turned to see xer partner, Metok Efheny, approaching. Efheny had cleary just come from work, still in his Ambassador’s aide uniform, although his work pass had been stuffed haphazardly into a pocket. Their hair was mussed, clearly longing to escape the confines of its work-appropriate bun, but Efheny was smiling, clearly happy to have been able to make it here. He shifted the sign in his hands to bend down to press a kiss to Nila’s _chupha_ , a move Nila batted away because they were in _public_ , and although it was very romantic it was also very impractical to do so given the police escort were only a little ways away through the crowd. Foolish, sentimental, loveable man...

“Do you like the sign?” Efheny asked, still smiling. “I only had an hour to make it at work.”

The sign, made out of old political cardboard posters, read _Philandery - Nothing Contrary!_. Nila laughed, and pressed xer hand to Efheny’s shoulder.

“It’s lovely, _ðera_.” Nila replied. “You were allowed to make it at work?”

“The ambassador didn’t have much for us to do, so a couple of us got together to make signs.” Efheny hesitated a moment. “I’ve been passing the message around work, seeing if I can get anyone to join - I got some of my colleagues to come along…”

“The more, the merrier.” Nila squeezed their shoulder. “Did you charm any of our dear politicians to break the radio silence?”

“I might have,” Efheny said evasively. “I’ve heard I’m very charming.”

“Who said that?”

“You did. And therefore it must be true.”

Nila laughed, and did not push Efheny away this time when he bent his head and nuzzled their _chupha_. Efheny was perhaps more outspoken philandery than Nila would’ve liked, but Efheny was an honest man and, honestly, trying to hide his philandric tendencies would’ve been a little like trying to disguise a Cardassian vole as a cat. In their partnership, Nila had enough caution to make up for Efheny’s lack of guile and sense of danger, and in that way they went together rather well. Even with Efheny’s ill-advised public displays of affection.

“I need to fix my sign.” Efheny said, as they parted. “Do you know anyone with glue? I didn’t have time to seal the corners..."

“Melor does - over there, you see her red hair-?”

Efheny bounded off to fetch glue for their sign, but Nila was not left alone for long. They were surveying the crowd when they saw another familiar face join the throng of people and protest signs. The presence of Doctor Parmak was not so much of a surprise as it was an inevitability. Nila’s mother had often taken xem to secret underground meetings, where Parmak had always been, curled into various cardigans with pockets full of _buranze_ sweets for impatient children like xemself. Today, their cardigan was a thin white slip of a thing, and was overshadowed by the handsewn philanderist pride flag that was tied across the back of their hoverchair. A pair of circular black sunglasses perched on their nose, contrasting against the white vitiligo dappling across their scales. Their hoverchair hummed as they steered it over to Nila, and Nila smiled as xe raised xer hand to meet Parmak’s in the traditional greeting.

“Doctor Parmak, glad to see you here.” Nila said, and Parmak smiled back.

“As if I’d be anywhere else.” they replied. “How are you?”

“Nervous.” Xe laughed. “The police presence isn’t half as bad as I thought it would be, but I’m still not certain about the public - how we’ll be received, if there will be any violence…”

“That’s always a risk with people like us. But we’ve got a good crowd behind us, and there’s no Obsidian Order to worry about anymore. Fate is on our side.”

Efheny chose that moment to return with their signed, freshly pinned and no longer peeling off the post. Upon the sight of Parmak, Efheny gave a little cry of delight, and hurried forward to greet them, grin almost wide enough to split their face.

“Doctor Parmak! Welcome, welcome - so glad you could make it!”

“I like your sign.” Parmak laughed, gesturing at the wooden board. “Nice wordplay.”

“Thank you!” Efheny was almost bouncing in place. “Is…?”

“Elim’s coming now - he just got caught up giving a speech to the ‘casts.”

“I’d hoped he’d come - I had mentioned it to him, but...”

“Elim?” Nila interrupted, looking between them. “Elim, as in…”

But Nila soon found xer question answered as Elim Garak, ambassador to the Federation, made his way through the crowd towards them. Garak was impossible to miss in any company - the distinctive tailoring of his dress marked him as Someone Important, and he passed through the crowd as easy as a knife through a hot regova egg. Parmak raised a hand and flagged him over, and greeted the ambassador with a palm and a smile that was full of warmth.

“I see the journos have released you from their grasp, Elim.” Parmak said, and Garak gave a theatrical sigh.

“The downsides of being a public figure.” he replied. “But they now have a nice little soundbite that will hopefully get the message of this march out to the wider public.”

“We’re glad to have you here, Ambassador.” Efheny smiled. “And not just to distract the ‘casts.”

Garak laughed, a warm sound that Nila had not expected to come from such a man. “I see politics has not tempered your cheek, Efheny!”

Efheny grinned, shameless. “This is Nila Mennoka, Ambassador, chairperson of the Torr’s chapter of Na-Almadh Phliandrics.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Garak’s eyes turnd to Nila appraisingly. “You planned the protest march today, yes?

“Yes sir, along with various committee members.” Nila straightened up, making some attempt to look authoritative even when dressed in combat boots and an oversized Cardassian _temza_ jacket covered in far too many pins. Garak did not look down on xem like many politicians had in the past, but his blue eyes sparked with interest.

“Efheny mentions you often.” Garak said, and Efheny had the grace to look a litte sheepish. “I hope you don’t mind an old government official being here?”

 _No,_ Nila thought, but really wanted to ask _but why are you here?_ Government officials had by and large not commented on the growing movement to legalise philandery except for a select few who proselytized on its dangers. Ambassador Garak had been more outspoken on diversity than most, but had not been open on his opinion on philandery until now. _Perhaps he couldn’t be_ , Nila realised a moment later, _perhaps it would’ve attracted... questions_. Nila knew of the rumours about Parmak and Garak, how some in Na-Almadh Philandrics had been cautiously hopeful that they would find support from that corner. But it was only now, as Parmak flicked out a tongue, tasting the air, that Nila noticed matching commitment bands, one on Parmak’s tongue, and the other on a chain around Garak’s neck.

_Oh._

“Of course you’re welcome here, Ambassador,” Nila responded with a warm smile. “Thank you for coming along.”

They spoke for a little while longer, but soon Nila and Efheny were pulled away for some last minute adjustments to the decor. Nila turned away to fiddle with one of the flags held by another attendee, while Ambassador Garak fussed with the flag draped across Doctor Parmak’s shoulders. Xe folded the corners of the flag and pinned them again, giving some veneer of privacy as the two bickered and fussed over each other, and pretended not to notice Ambassador Garak briefly nuzzling his nose in Doctor Parmak’s _chupha_ in a clear display of romantic affection. As he turned, xe could not help but catch Efheny’s eyes, who grinned, clearly having seen all of it and found it entirely adorable. _Hopeless romantic…_

But even Nila’s cynicism couldn’t quash the slight flutter as Efheny took xer hand as they turned to start the march. Ambassador Garak fell behind them, one hand on Kelas’ hover chair, and the others started filling in around them, all of Nila’s queer family shuffling to march as one cohesive mass. Nila looked at Efheny, one last time to quell the last minute nerves, before squaring up and starting to walk.

The future, Nila thought, didn’t feel anything less than hopeful.


End file.
